What is EDMIS?
EDMIS is SBA’s Entrepreneurial Development Management Information System. The system is used to collect client activity data for counseling and training. It also collects the client impact data for Small Business Development Centers and Women’s Business Centers. View the EDMIS User Manual by SBA.
Getting Started
To create a new report, go to EDMIS Batches/Reports in the SourceLink navigation bar under Reports.1. Select New Batch to add new report.

Complete information for new Batch Report.

2. Select from Process choices to:
1. View Potential Error List
2. Save for SBA (on your hard drive)
3. Submit to EDMIS (link to EDMIS website)
User Tools
Common Mistakes
- Missing Month/Year Business Started
- Missing Zip Code
- Minimum Counseling/Prep time not met
Minimum counseling/pre/travel time: The error message displayed if/when a session did not meet the minimum time requirement was not very clear; “Initial counseling session must be at least 60 min (couns + prep time)”. This showed up for any counseling sessions that did not meet requirement, not just initial sessions. The error message will be adjusted accordingly.
Which interactions have minimum requirements?
- Initial face-to-face interactions must be 60 minutes (counseling + prep time).
- Initial telephone/online can be 30 minutes.
- 1.) Change the batch report routine so that it only applies min time requirement to initial interactions.
- 2.) Allow for capturing/reporting of telephone and online interactions.
- 3.) Alter error message to accommodate both the 30 minute and 60 minute requirements, (i.e., Initial counseling session counseling + prep time must be at least 60 min for face-to-face, or 30 minutes for online and/or telephone)
Counseling Hours: Required, contact, prep and travel time. Per SBA/EDMIS call on 7/12: Prep time counts towards 60 min minimum on initial interaction, travel does not. Prep and travel do both get uploaded to EDMIS.
Which Client Types are uploaded to SourceLink?
Each User Organization can specify which Client Types upload to EDMIS under Setup/Help → Values → Client Types.
Which Interaction Types are uploaded to SourceLink?
- Each User Organization can specify which Interaction Types upload to EDMIS under Setup/Help→ Values → Interaction Types. Client Interface Type (in EDMIS referred to as “client type”)
Client interface types that EDMIS recognizes:
- Face-to-Face
- Telephone
- Online
Currently, SouceLink® automatically flags all clients as face-to-face. There is not a location/place to enter this value in SourceLink.
This is different from “Type of Session” found on the “Add Interaction” window, which also uses the same three options. This correlates to question #46 on 641 III.
Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Disability, Veteran Status, Military Status
These variables all get uploaded and appear to match up correctly/as expected. Technically these fields are required, however “No Response” is an accepted value for all of them and it is therefore ok to leave them blank in the client record.
Type of Business
Pulls from NAICS Code. Reports the NAICS code grouping/category using the first two digits of the NAICS Code (i.e., “Administrative Services, Arts, Agriculture, etc.).
Currently Exporting
This is required, however if the field is left blank (“No Response”) in a client record, SourceLink uploads a response of “No”.
Business Ownership Gender breakdown/percentage
Required field, if left blank we upload “No Response”, which appears to get accepted.
Currently in Business? Start Date, Online, Home-Based, Certified 8(a)
If Currently In Business checkbox=Yes, others are required. If the “in business” field is left “No Response” uploads the value of “No”
- Start Date: If start date is blank, January 2006 is uploaded by default (this is based upon an unclear requirement note from EDMIS).The error message reads “missing mo & yr biz started”
- Online: If left blank, SourceLink uploads a response of No
- Home Based: If left blank, SourceLink uploads a response of No
- Certified 8(a): If left blank, SourceLink uploads a response of No
- Total Employees: Reports the full time + part time employees from the most recent snapshot.
- Employees Exporting: Required if in business and exporting.
- Exporting Countries: Only required if currently exporting and in business
- Exporting Gross Sales: Not currently required
- Entity Type: Required if in business, however if left blank SourceLink uploads a value of “other”, which EDMIS accepts
- Request for Assistance: Pulls from interaction type, is required
- Client Address: Is not required
- Zip Code: Required
- Assistance Requested: Required, pulls from assistance requested in the interaction window.
- Language: Required, by default SourceLink uploads “English”.
- Date Counseled: Required, pulls from Interaction Date.
The following are not required by EDMIS, but do get uploaded
Each of these pull from snapshots:
- SBA loan
- Non SBA loan
- Equity capital received
- Microloan
- Number of contracts received
- Government contract value
- Incoming referral source
Data fields that pull from the Client page (first tab):
- Certifications: 8(a), HUBZone, Woman Owned, Other Certification